Home of the Week: Four-bedroom Roxbury town home is listed for $769,900
The property, found in the Moreland Street Historic District, offers four bedrooms. Search the latest listings at realestate.boston.com.
85 Blue Hill Ave.
$769,900
Style: Second empire town house
Year built: 1869
Square feet: 2,378
Bedrooms: 4
Baths: 3 full, 1 half
Sewer/water: Public
Taxes: $3,678 (without residential exemption)
This property is one of the towering brick edifices that comprise the Moreland Street Historic District, a slice of Roxbury where Second Empire, Italianate, and Queen Anne homes were built in waves, including this one constructed after the Civil War.
From Blue Hill Avenue, the view of this nearly 150-year-old town home is of its mansard roof with dragon scale roof tiles and bay windows on each of its three floors. Clutches of roses and azaleas occupy the small patch of earth to the left of the walkway to the entrance of this home, where the foyer runs the length of the house.
The first room to the left and through French doors is the living room, which has a white marble fireplace mantel that’s original to the home. The ceiling — just 4 inches shy of 10 feet — is set off with crown molding, and the room is brightened by a layered chandelier. More light comes from the windowed bump-out.
Sliding pocket doors are ubiquitous in properties this age, but this home has a distinctive set — white French doors. They lead to what used to be a formal dining room, where one wall has been updated with split-face stone. The owner turned it into a playroom.
There is no need to lament the new task for the dining room, because the updated kitchen has space to spare, enough to accommodate a table for eight. The kitchen also features a granite-topped breakfast bar with maple cabinets and seating for two, custom maple cabinets (some with glass fronts), a wine chiller, glass subway tile, black stainless-steel appliances, and a second oven. There is a second playroom off the kitchen.
The flooring throughout much of the home is oak.
The bedrooms are in pairs on the second and third floors. The master is the largest (225 square feet), but the star bedroom of the four may be on the second floor. The handles of its mirrored closet doors are encrusted with faux rhinestones, and the chandelier above the entry to the second closet (a walk-in) looks as if it’s made of rhinestones, too. Both closets have built-ins. All of the bedrooms have fireplaces, either gas or electric.
The full bath on this floor has a shower, extensive white cabinetry, and a single vanity. The counter and floor are granite. The shower surround is white subway tile with black diamond accents.
The third-floor master suite features a bay window bump-out, built-ins, two closets, and an updated bath clad in Carrara marble. The steam Bluetooth-enabled shower has glass doors and a subway tile surround.
The main bath on the third floor offers a whirlpool tub with a white ceramic tile surround, a towel warmer, a vanity topped with Carrara marble, and a gray polished-porcelain tile floor.
The home’s lowest level has a drop ceiling, linoleum flooring, a laundry room with cabinets, and an extra room.
A shared driveway ends in parking for two cars. There is no grassy backyard. The home sits on 0.07 of an acre.
The listing agents, Camille Perry and Michael Helsmoortel of Channing Real Estate in Cambridge, will hold an open house on Sunday, Nov. 4, from 1 to 3 p.m.
View additional photos of the property:
Follow John R. Ellement on Twitter @JREbosglobe. Send listings to [email protected]. Please note: We do not feature unfurnished homes and will not respond to submissions we won’t pursue. Subscribe to our newsletter at pages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp.
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